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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

The precision of prophecy

The lord God is great. His Son Jesus, Immanuel, God With Us, is great. His Spirit is great. I praise Him and all His ways!

He set for a plan since before the foundation of the world. He is the architect of history. He elects people to salvation according to His plan, in the fulness of time He sent His Son, (Galatians 4:4) and now He is drawing to a close this era of history as we or the next generation prepares to go through the next phase of His perfect prophetic plan.

In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, (Ephesians 1:11)

We all know the marvelousness of the Scriptures being fulfilled in Jesus. For example, He was praised as He entered the holy city on a colt. (Mark 11:3, Zechariah 9:9). We know the precise amount Judas was paid to betray Jesus, for that was prophesied (Zechariah 11:12). We know the scriptures were fulfilled when Jesus cried out, "I thirst". (John 19:28).

And many more.

I particularly enjoy these following two prophecies. They have not been fulfilled yet, but they will be.

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, (Romans 11:25, NIV)

Other translations say the "fullness of the Gentiles". The word fullness according to Strong's is from the Greek plḗrōma meaning "sum total".

When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been. (Revelation 6:9-11)

Again, the Greek word is from pleroo, meaning fulfilled or completed.

Since before the universe was even created, the LORD our God had a perfect number in mind of those who will fulfill the number or quota of people who will be part of His Bride, the church (Romans 11:25). And He also had a perfect number in mind of the number of Tribulation saints who will be martyred. Nothing is out of control with God. He isn't looking down and thinking, "Yah, the church looks big enough, let's cut it off here." Or He is not looking down at the people being beheaded during the Tribulation and saying "Whoo, we better put a stop to this." Nothing is a surprise to Him because He planned it down to the very last inch...the very last dust mote...even down to the last person.

The Church will be full when His number is reached. Only He knows what that number is. For the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Not only because He loves His children but because He knows the certain, exact, precise number of martyrs He will allow. When that number is reached, He will return and end it at Armageddon.

Isn't it wonderful to know that He has everything so meticulously mapped out? Not that it absolves us of doing our duty, of working diligently among the brethren and for the lost, and studying His word. But whatever happens, He is in control, and so precisely, that when the 5 billionth, 3 hundred millionth, 6 hundred thousandth, and third person is saved, (or whatever His number is) we will be raptured. He knows what the number is, who will fulfill that number and when that number will be reached. He is worthy to be worshiped! His mind, His plan, and His ability to manage all things in heaven and earth makes Him worthy.

Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before
me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to
come, and what will happen. Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it
to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God
besides Me, Or is there any other Rock? I know of none.'" (Isaiah 44:7-8)

1 comment:

I believe the fulness of the Gentiles, taken together with the Matthew 24 (?) verse, "and the Gospel will be preached to all the world and then the end will come," are synthesized into a conviction that the final 7-year period of modern history is contingent upon every individual, or at least every language group on earth, being able to encounter the Gospel in a language they understand.

Now, that doesn't mean God's plan is dependent upon the success or failure of the Joshua Project and other missionaries (though their success is due to God's involvement at any rate) -- God can easily use visions and dreams to accomplish what His footsoldiers are unable to, if the time comes, so that no one can suppose that God is limited by our actions. I believe He takes us into account, because He wants to (He didn't have to tell us to preach the Gospel, after all), but He won't let us thwart Him.

All that said, the spread of the Gospel into languages of people who've never heard it is one intriguing "counter," like the accumulation of property for the rebuilding of the Temple, and the in-gathering of Jews to Israel, and the potential that we're witnessing the great apostasy (it could always be further future, but you can only know that in hindsight, if the present time is followed by a revival), and the reorganization of nations into alliances that match the Psalm 83/Gog-Magog confederacies, ETC,

are intriguing signposts to the nearness of the Rapture, and encouragements that His timetable is moving steadily and does not delay "as some count delay," so to speak.